Replies

1. 
   BG | Dec 29, 2002 06:18pm | #1

   Jeff,

   You've used 30 different fenses and your asking us?...lol  Curious, which fense do you have on the Grizzly?  How bout the Incra...would that give you an added dimension of accuracy?..

1. 
   Jeff | Dec 29, 2002 08:41pm | #2

   BG

   Sorry, I must have typed something wrong.

   I've been woodworking on and off for 30 years.

   I've used maybe 10 different tablesaws over the years from benchtop

   to cabinet. (Not all mine)

   I didn't like the Shop Fox (Thin style) that came with this Grizzly

   saw. The saw itself is a 5hp cabinet unit (1023 I think)less then a year old that I bought for a great price from a fellow who was going to work full time for someone else.

   The old Rockwell Cabinet saw I used years ago had a lousy fence, but

   then free is free.

   I wasn't too happy with the Powermatic fence in the cabinet shop I used for a while, but it was very abused.

   I didn't like the Sears fence on the old contractors saw I have and

   a good buy came my way on the Vega. I like the Vega, it works better

   then most of the other fences I've had a chance to use over the years.

   My friends swear by the Beisemeyer, and it works great as far as I can tell.

   Before I buy the new fence for the Grixxly, I thought I would see

   what everyone's opinion was first.

   My search of the past comments didn't give me much help.

   My new shop fix-up will be ready for the new saw in a few weeks, and

   was hoping to get some feedback.

   I don't know anything about the Incra, no one around here uses it,

   and I usually need to mail order or special order most specialty items. No one carries it locally.

   I'd hoped to see all the fences at the Mass show, but never got there.

   Jeff

1. 
   BG | Dec 29, 2002 09:23pm | #3

   Jeff,

   The Mass show in Worchester about a month ago?  ...you would have been disappointed...jet, general ...and maybe a powermatic..but nothing else that I can think of...

   I don't think there is a lot of difference between the Bies and the Fox Classic...single point connection.  That is, most have copied the Bies...that is not to say the Bies isn't better.  If your happy with the Vega then why take a chance on someone else's opinion.  what specifically frustrates you about the Fox?

1. 
   Jeff | Dec 30, 2002 01:52am | #4

   BG

   I don't have the Fox Classic, I have the other one with the Rollers

   on both ends.

   Makes it hard to attach my outfeed table.

   It has no scale or fine adjustment, and is a real pain to align.

   Jeff

1. 
   BG | Dec 30, 2002 04:40am | #5

   Jeff,

   I like my Classic but I may swap out the plastic material on both sides of the fense.  I suspect it may be a little warped but have not checked.  As you know, your fense is quite a bit more expensive than the classic maybe you can sell it and buy the Bies. 

   I thought I'd miss not having the micro adjustment but I don't.  I set the tape accurately and moving the fense using that is really quite convienent.

   I started to design a flip up extension for an outfeed but decided I'd just cut down a wheeled work table and use that as an outfeed table.  There is a two inch gap but it works well..and the work table has two shelves to hold cut stock.  Just some thoughts...

2. 
   Alpo | Dec 30, 2002 05:08am | #6

   Jeff I have an Excalibur fence on a Craftsman table saw. The fence tracks well and is great improvement on the saw. The saw was free and I was read to get rid of it until I put the Excalibur on it.

   Allen

1. 
   booch | Dec 30, 2002 08:12pm | #7

   Likewise I put a Rockwell contractors fence on my Sears Craftsman. Ohhh it works fine. I even have one on an old rockwell contractors that I installed a cabinet saw fence. With a 1-1/2 inch sacrificial face on the fence it runs true and solidly. You don't need to spend a fortune.

3. 
   emerckx | Dec 30, 2002 10:34pm | #8

   Jeff,

   I had a Vega on a Delta Contractor, and my Unisaw has a biesemeyer.  Both of the fences worked very well.  I never needed to adjust either of them (after the initial setup) to blade or miter guage.  I've run a mile of wood against both of them and can't see that either is superior.  That said, there were a number of extras on the Vega that I miss.  The micro-adjust feature was nice, the tracks along the top accepted lots of accessories for narrow ripping, hold downs etc.  I know that similar accessories are now available for the biesemeyer too.  If it were my pocket book, I'd move the vega over to the cabinet saw.

   Mike

1. 
   Jeff | Dec 31, 2002 01:24am | #9

   Thanks Mike

   I'll have to check out the accesories for the Beisemeyer.

   I have a few for the Vega.

   Jeff

4. 
   olyjerry | Dec 31, 2002 02:48am | #10

   Jeff

   I have an Excalibur on my crapsman saw and that made a great difference,I really enjoy a good piece of equiptment

   jerry